eCobalt Announces Positive Results from the Feasibility Study for the Idaho Cobalt Project
News provided by
eCobalt Solutions Inc.
Sep 27, 2017, 04:30 ET
VANCOUVER, Sept. 27, 2017 /CNW/ - eCobalt Solutions Inc. (ECS-TSX) ("eCobalt" or the "Company") is announcing positive economics from the Feasibility Study ("FS") of the Company's Idaho Cobalt Project ("ICP"), the only environmentally permitted, primary cobalt project located in the United States. The FS is based on an underground mine with a target production rate of 800 short tons per day ("tpd") and a weighted average annual production of 2.4M lbs of cobalt, 3.3M lbs of copper and 3,000 oz of gold over a 12.5 year mine life with an estimated pre-production period of 24 months utilizing a 0.25% cobalt cut-off grade. The economic model uses a 34% corporate tax rate and a 7.5% discount rate, resulting in an after-tax NPV of $135.8M and an IRR of 21.3% using an average base case price of $26.65/lb for contained cobalt in cobalt sulphate.
The ICP is 100% owned by the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Formation Capital Corporation, U.S. The FS was prepared by Micon International ("MI") in conjunction with SNC Lavalin ("SNC") both of Toronto, Canada. The ICP is expected to be an underground mine and mill, exploiting the Company's Ram deposit, located within the Idaho Cobalt Belt outside the town of Salmon, Idaho. Additionally, the Cobalt Production Facility ("CPF"), a hydrometallurgical refining operation located on a railhead in Blackfoot, Idaho, is expected to be built. The ICP would be a vertically integrated project designed to produce cobalt chemicals for the rechargeable batteries market in addition to by-products of copper concentrate, copper sulphate, magnesium sulphate and gold.
Mr. Paul Farquharson, President and C.E.O. of the Company stated: "After years of dedicated work, our Team is gratified the project is validated on a feasibility level enabling us the opportunity to strategically advance to the next stage and pursue project financing, construction and production. Pre-construction activities are underway in preparation for project construction and mine development contingent upon successful project financing. The project's main competitive strengths are having a primary cobalt deposit located in the United States and a high reserve grade when compared to other existing sources of cobalt located globally. The feasibility study highlights multiple opportunities to enhance the economics of the project and these include expansion of the resource, optimization of the mine plan to process higher grade material and detailed engineering at the CPF to further reduce risk and improve capital and operating costs.
This is a robust project that could eventually be the sole primary producer of cobalt in the United States. The future outlook for the electric vehicle and lithium-ion battery markets further supports sustained and long-term demand for cobalt – a critical ingredient in the cathodes of rechargeable batteries. Our project is an important development for the battery supply chain enabling access to a secure, stable, ethically sourced and environmentally sound supply of battery grade cobalt sulphate, mined safely and responsibly in the United States."